Official Selection
B.B. y Gordo
Bianca, a 50-year-old Latina, lives a wild, reckless life in a rundown trailer in Port Isabel, Texas, working as a bartender on South Padre Island. As her looks fade and younger women take the best shifts, she resorts to trading sexual favors for prescription meds, which she sells to make ends meet. Her addiction-fueled lifestyle has destroyed her relationships with her daughter and father, leaving her isolated and on the edge.
When her estranged, obese, half-Black grandson is suddenly thrust into her custody, Bianca’s chaotic world is turned upside down. Starving for love and using food as his only comfort, the boy forces her to confront the mess she’s made of her life. Can Bianca clean up her act and become the parental figure he so desperately needs, or will her self-destructive tendencies push her further into the darkness?
This raw, raunchy tale explores the collision of guilt, redemption, and the unlikely bond between a broken woman and the grandson who just might save her.
When her estranged, obese, half-Black grandson is suddenly thrust into her custody, Bianca’s chaotic world is turned upside down. Starving for love and using food as his only comfort, the boy forces her to confront the mess she’s made of her life. Can Bianca clean up her act and become the parental figure he so desperately needs, or will her self-destructive tendencies push her further into the darkness?
This raw, raunchy tale explores the collision of guilt, redemption, and the unlikely bond between a broken woman and the grandson who just might save her.
Official Selection
Better Fate Than Never
Better Fate Than Never is a sharp, heartfelt comedy about reinvention, relevance, and the unpredictable nature of love at any age.
Annie, a successful relationships columnist in her 50s, is blindsided when a smug, younger editor informs her that her work is no longer “click-worthy.” Her loyal readership and decades of experience mean nothing in the face of analytics, scroll depth, and social shares. Unless she reinvents herself, and fast, she’s out of a job. Her editor suggests she switch lanes entirely and write a youthful travel piece, complete with hostel-hopping and hitchhiking tips. Annie is appalled.
Devastated but not defeated, Annie turns to her older sister Maeve, a free spirit with a flair for dramatics, who convinces her to visit a tarot reader for guidance. To Annie’s surprise, the reading seems to speak directly to her crisis, and hints at movement, change, and a journey tied to deeper connection. Still skeptical, Annie drowns her frustration in wine, sarcasm, and a late-night internet rabbit hole. She stumbles across a curious dating site for singles over 40 and impulsively signs up, only to receive an email the next morning that reads: CUPID FEST – Travel to Ireland – Meet the Love of Your Life.
What begins as a desperate attempt to save her job transforms into the start of something much more personal. With a plane ticket in hand and a hint of hope wrapped in a healthy dose of skepticism, Annie finds out that chasing a story might just lead her to one of her own. Better Fate Than Never is a funny, touching exploration of modern aging, female agency, and the courage it takes to write your next chapter - even when the ink’s long dry on the last one.
Annie, a successful relationships columnist in her 50s, is blindsided when a smug, younger editor informs her that her work is no longer “click-worthy.” Her loyal readership and decades of experience mean nothing in the face of analytics, scroll depth, and social shares. Unless she reinvents herself, and fast, she’s out of a job. Her editor suggests she switch lanes entirely and write a youthful travel piece, complete with hostel-hopping and hitchhiking tips. Annie is appalled.
Devastated but not defeated, Annie turns to her older sister Maeve, a free spirit with a flair for dramatics, who convinces her to visit a tarot reader for guidance. To Annie’s surprise, the reading seems to speak directly to her crisis, and hints at movement, change, and a journey tied to deeper connection. Still skeptical, Annie drowns her frustration in wine, sarcasm, and a late-night internet rabbit hole. She stumbles across a curious dating site for singles over 40 and impulsively signs up, only to receive an email the next morning that reads: CUPID FEST – Travel to Ireland – Meet the Love of Your Life.
What begins as a desperate attempt to save her job transforms into the start of something much more personal. With a plane ticket in hand and a hint of hope wrapped in a healthy dose of skepticism, Annie finds out that chasing a story might just lead her to one of her own. Better Fate Than Never is a funny, touching exploration of modern aging, female agency, and the courage it takes to write your next chapter - even when the ink’s long dry on the last one.
